Alert: Sources say State Hotel Budget jumped to $50,000
Is Your Baseball Leadership Over Their Heads?
We told you so. We reported on what we called the board's 'pig pong' decision debacle that took the state from paying nothing in state tournament hotel housing costs up to what sources tell us is now budgeted to a maximum financial exposure of an estimated $50,000 for 2025. Our original estimate was $25,000 in projected actual expense. The maximum cost exposure is:
- D1 Senior Tournament - up to $20,000
- D2 Senior Tournament - up to $10,000
- D1 Junior Tournament - up to $10,000
- D2 Junior Tournament - up to $10,000
***2024 Hotel Expense for tournament players - $0,000; Reimbursement to host based on 50% of actual cost.
Minnesota is THE only state to give free rooms to house players and coaches at state tournaments. We estimate approximately 5 1/2% of all Minnesota Legion players would be housed for the first night and 3% of players for a second night. The near religious status of free tournament hotel rooms of those in control of the Minnesota Legon Baseball Board of Directors certainly cpmes at a steep price.
Put that in perspective:
- The $50,000 exposure represents over two and a half times the entire annual sponsorship grant from Scheels.
- The $50,000 represents nearly 75% of total team registration fees for 2025.
Now you know where the priorities are in Minnesota!
We believe this is the biggest financial boondoggle and fiasco in the 100 year history of Legion baseball in Minnesota. It is a stunning and continunig example of priorities that are rigidly pursued.
Who had a say? Not you. The Legion system in Minnesota allows only a vewry few to call the shots.
Have an opinion? Share it with the officers of the Legion board. From the baseball website:
- State Director Randy Schaub 203 1st Street, P.O. Box 124, Danube, MN 56230 (320) 522-1894 (c), 320-826-2621 (h), randypschaub23@gmail.com
- Vice Director, Division I Jeff Miller 120 Red Pine Trail Ottertail, MN 56571 Phone: (701) 367-5915 E-mail: Slick013162@gmail.com
- Vice Director, Division II Brandon Raymo 130 Buckeye Dr. Montevideo, MN 56265 Phone: (320) 226-0828 (c) E-mail: braymo22@gmail.com
2025 Would have been the best legion all-stars ever
To Celebrate 100 Years of American Legion Baseball
2025, the Centennial Anniversary year for American Lewgion Baseball, was slated to be the best Minnesota Legion All-Star event ever.
Well. It should have been anyway. It would have been the fifth year since we started. And the third year for an all-turf baseball tournament weekend. This would have been a great weekend for Legion baseball and a great weekend for Legion players, Legion coaches, and for Legion families. And it should have been a great opportunity for Minnesota Legion Baseball as well.
The lineup plan:
- A PBR Showcase to make sure the guys have videos and stats recorded.
- Practice With the Coaches
- NEW!!! Legion All Star Night at the Saints. With the entire left field pavillion open to us, all you can eat, game seats, and tickets available for the entire family to join in. What fun.
- NEW!!! A companiion Invitational Touurnament to allow us to include more player opportunities as we had more than twice the player interest than we could fill in all-star jerseys in 2024.
- Big time opening ceremonies with special guests
- An expanded Meet The College Coaches Breakfast panel.
- Three to four games for each guy to show his stuff with plenty of time to make new and lasting friendships .
- Special secret rewards for participants of the "Sunset Games" - the last games of the weekend.
Our goal was to build the best showcase tournament and family weekend of any American Legion program in the country. Mission accomplished in 2024. Our college coach community endorsed and supported this event on the field, on discussion panels, and scouting in the stands. Many Legion baseball players got connected to future colleges. Many new collaborators come to support Legion baseball including major state youth baseball organizations, area businesses, and the Minnesota Twins. Good for Minnesota Legion baseball, right?
The Legion All-Star Program had a very simple focus:
- To serve kids, coaches, families, and the American Legion.
- Devoted to the joys of Legion baseball and boys dreams of playing at the next level.
What was there not to like? It was a program and an event that any state Legion organization would be proud of.
The 2025 Legion All Star Plan
Is it time to look behind the curtain?
We Will Tell What We Know and Experienced
Most in Legion Baseball Land do not know about how baseball is organized and structured. They don't know that the Minnesota American Legion transferred almost all responsibility and authority to the Minnesota Legion Baseball Board of Directors. This board essentially is the owner. Unlike any other state in the country, Minnesota board members are appointed and not elected by coaches to their positions. In the system peculiar to Minnesota, members have lifetime positions. Many board members have served for years and years even decades building their 'board room community" of longtime associations.
Who? What? Why?
There are 5,000 players and over 1,000 coaches and 11,000 parents that play Legion baseball but have little to no idea how it is run, who says what about what, and who decided what or why. Examples:
- Who decided that D2 Seniors would have the shortest regular season in the country?
- Who dictates that 60% of the D2 Senior teams get eliminated before they can even see the field at a substate sectional tournament?
- Who dictates a D1 tournament that virtually eliminated outstate teams going to a national regional?
- Who killed All-Stars ? It was popular and well executed. Why?
- Who decided to commit to the largest financial liability in Legion history - $50,000 - to fund a night or two stay at a hotel for a handful of teams at state tournaments? Why?
- Who dictated that state tournaments be played in a single elimination format versus the preferred National Legion double elimination format that is used at substates? Why?
- Who is allowed input?
Many in Legion Land refer to a nebulous thing called "The Board". Actions of individuals are often hidden behind terms: The Board or The Leadership. There are no posted minutes or postings of policy decisions or changes. Often "Mum is the word" when approaching a board member to find iout about goings on
For A Better Legion Program
All Star co-founder Mike Perry spent many years as a board member and seven years as the state director. Along with co-founder Bruce Barron, they have opver 80 years of service and esperience with Legion baseball in Minnesota. Their experiences, viewpoints and opinions are shared in these articles.
We believe Legion baseball faces struggles and challenges.
Legion baseball also has many strengths.
- One strength has been consistent operations that keep the boat floating to ensure that community based baseball has a solid foundation.
- Another strength is the remendous work done in community baseball organizatins and exceptional high school programs. Legion baseball diud not create players and teams. Local communities and coaches do that work. The consistent presence of Legion baseball reaps the benefits of a state that loves its baseball.
It Should Be About The Boys: #1 and Always
Personal agendas - grudges, personal control,personal interests, personal friendships - should not be the prime determinants of any decision. However, when it comes to big picture items like 'vision" mission" and "opportunity", the personal agendas of a bare handful of individuals come front and center to determine the Legion baseball experience for all Legion players, coaches, and families.
Make It Better Or Fall Backward
The purpose of our efforts are to draw the curtain back a bit to shed light on what has become a secretive organization that, on matters of direction, appears to be dominated by people closed to the outside, preferring to pursue their personal agendas aggressively. Policies and programs that had the potential to modernize Legion baseball have been rolled back or blocked before they can start. The small contigent has imposed policies that have shrunk the program to fit their view to the detriment of the Legion Baseball program.
Example: All Stars versus $50,000 liability forHotel rooms. Single elimination tournament versus double, blocked divisional modernization.
Is It Time For Reform?
The State Legion organization has been passive- at best. No reform can occur without updating an archaic anti-democratic system that invites abuse. When representaive are elected to terms they become responsive to coaches. Secrecy melts away an accountability becomes the norm.
Hypocracy Should End.
The American Legion is against autocracy and for democracy. Lives have been lost in that cause. Yet Minnesota Legion baseball stands alone as the only closed autocratic system in the entire country. Is that hypocritical?
- If you don't point out the abuse it can only continue.
- Minnesota Legion is a broken system that was bad to begin.
- Only coaches and parents can call for reform.
- Maybe a few board members would join in.
- That choice is yours.
We Will Tell Our Side & Give You The Documents
The Overview
ll Stars began with the new regime and directions of State Director Randy Schaub. He liked new ideas and opportunity back then. His amiable style was able to get the All-Star project approved and supported despite some opposition. He pushed for other progressive changes. Even today Randy says he is interested in ideas and opportunities.
But times changed and so did the internal power balance of the baseball board. The direction changed and virtually all of Schaub's initiatives have been eliminated. The direction of Legion baseball is now owned (literally) by the anti-opportunity faction. Randy told us esactly that in his Winter 20925 Update for coaches - I am interested in opportunty but others are not. He implied he does not have the votes anymore.
The Greater The Success - Thre Greater The Rejection
One would have expected, as we foolishly did, that the success of the All-Star program would be embraced by the Legion brass. All-Stars was not the founders personal property or personal turf. It was developed exclusively as a function of Legion baseball - and that meant the baseball board owned it while our group managed it. The success of it was because it met what people were looking for - players, coaches, families, college coaches, and more.
Efforts to push away the All Star program began as early as fall 2023. Those efforts were largely hidden from sight - as secrecy is the operating model for the Legion baseball board. Sponsor support was undermined. At the spring board meeting,a vice director pushed the vote to eliminate board All Star sponsorship funding. Direct communications were cu8ut back and then cut off entirely. The environment had seemed to turn hostile. No one would discuss it.
Barron's Report
The 2024 All Star event was very successful and an even better program was already in the works when founder Bruce Barron presented a report at a fall board meeting. The report Included:
- Our all-star development process
- All Star program results and plans for 2025
- Concerns and issues that had arisen over the past few years,
- Four ideas for consideration.
A Phone Call Then the Wall Of Silence
- The state director followed that meeting up with a phone call with Mike Perry a couple days later. He addressed "personal agendas" expressed by some board members. Randy liked the ideas and asked to get a proposal for one of the ideas.
- From that moment forward, All direct communication ended that day - September 25th. A Silent Wall was erected. Silence is not good for relationships. Try it at home sometime.
All Stars Was Killed November 1st - Four Different Stories Followed
An official "Cease and Desist Letter" was sent from the Minnesota Legion office of baseball board secretary Tim Engstrom.
- What caused this?
- Why had the director and officers and board members been hidden behind silence for the preceding 40 days and 40 nights?
- What issues were there that could not be discussed and resolved?
Four Changing Stories - Our Response - All Are False
Mom said that you only need to tell the truth once. A lie will have multiple iterations.
We count four distinct storylines and gave them titles:
- 'They Stole Our Legion Brand - Those Frauds'
- 'The Directors Caustic Charade'
- 'They Shared An Idea That Was A Potential'
- 'They Are Coming To Steal Our Children'
Our Statement: Each story is false and misleading. There are not Four Truths.
We will give you the documents and our analysis. You decide.
Clues And Documents Will Tell The Real Story
Each story claimed a different cause for killing all stars. Each story pointed the finger of blame at the all-star guys - They Made Us Do It. Each story sought to obscure the decision makers from view. But each story gave us clues. Put the clues together with the documents and you will get a clear picture
Neither the State Director, the Vice-Directors, the Secretary, or their supporting board members have been willing to publicly explain their actions. Their actions are unprecedented in Minnesota American Legion Baseball history.
Willing To Eliminate A Program Devoted to Players - For What Good Purpose?
All-Stars was a program that focused on the boys. It focused on Legion families. It focused on Legion coaches and college coaches. Minnesota Legion All-Stars had quickly become the largest Legion all-star program in the country. Kids are in college baseball today because of the program. Where else could a couple of hundred top Minnesota American Legion baseball players (70% from outstate) get in front of 35 college coaches?
- One would expect some clear and compelling reasons or needs to kill All-Stars. What were the reasons? hmmmm. Inquiring minds want to know.
- What good did it do to kill the program? Who benefitted?
Who did it? Why did they do it?
- Did the entire board take action?
- Or did a small group make decisions and simply inform other board members?
- Why was it the only possible solution?
Quick Time Line To The End
- September 21. We asked for all-star support. We offered concerns and some ideas. We asked for discussions and communications.
- September 25th. The director acknowledge the meeting and asked for a proposal for one of the ideas.
- September 25 to November 1 - The Wall of Silence was imposed isolating the all-star guys and isolating the "leadership" as well.
- November 1st brought the Cease and Desist ;etter with Story #1 giving us the "real cause" all-stars had to be killed.
- November 5th produced Story #2 that replaced Story #1 with a new real cause #2.
- November 14th produced two more stories that we call Secret Stories - we were not intended to see the stories.
- Story #3 gave tyhe third 'real cause' to justify killing all-stars. It was a dud of a "real cause" wrapped in an intricate fictional tale.
- Story #4 told, in our opinion, an over-the-top fictional tale that seemed to us to be inflammatory garbage. It provided 'Real Cause #4".
- It seems Story #4 was promoted to the Baseball Board members. To our shock - some of them bought it! Oh wow.
We Will Tell Our Story and Give You the Documents
Multiple storylines are in our view, total garbage. Moms know what to call it when their kid tells changing stories with each one growing bigger and bigger and ending with The Whopper. We believe each story is false.
What are they trying to hide besides their identities and the truth?
- We will tell what we know and what we think.
- We will offer opinions which after a combined 80 years of Legion baseball experience that we think we are entitled to share. Free speech is a right central to the Americanism doctrine of the American Legion.
- We would be embarassed to offer multiple stories. And especially embarassd to offer these.
- You can read the documents. You can read our response. You be your own judge.
Making Legion Baseball Better is what we strive for.
It is that spirit we share information, documents, investigation, views and conclusions with you.
You make up your own mind.
The Story is told in Chapters listed below.
Challenge Abuse Or It Repeats
Behaviors We Would Not Allow At HOme or On Our Team
Is It Supposed To Work This Way?
The administration of Legion baseball has always seemed a bit mysterious if not strange. With 80 years of experience under our combined belts, we can't ever recall anyone calling out corruption or dishonesty or conduct unbecoming. Sure, a board member might be called out for bending rules or twisting rules or some nasty behavior. There were certainly disagreements even allegations of incompetence at times. We simply have never seen anything that can rival what we observe today. All Stars is one clear example but it sits amongst a much larger pattern of issues and actions.
Values and Intergrity Should Not Be Compromised
The fundamental values of honesty, respect for one another, and integrity should be expected of all of us involved in youth activities. That most certainly would be true of the baseball board of directors and its officers. In the case of these matters, we think lines were crossed that should never be crossed. And the kids suffer because of it.
Ethical Expectations - Its About Integrity
- Ethics are what you exhibit when no one is looking.
- One's honesty should not be dependent on outside accountability, but often is.
- What ethical standards do we expect from people that work with kids? They should be high, right?
- What ethical standards do we expect from adults that refer to themselves as "leadership'? Those should be as high or even higher, right?
- tegrity and ethical standards must be set and maintained high enough we have to stretch to reach them, not set so low as to stub one's toe.
The American Legion Demands Ethics
The American Legion sets an appropriately high bar in the Code of Conduct summarized below:
- "The American Legion's Code of Conduct emphasizes honesty, integrity, dignity, respect, and responsibility, both inside and outside of the Legion. Members are expected to represent the organization well, and their behavior reflects upon the Legion family at all levels."
Key aspects of the Code of Conduct include:
- Honesty and Integrity: Members are expected to act with honesty and integrity in all their dealings.
- Respect and Dignity: Treating all members and others with respect and dignity is paramount.
- Responsibility: Members are accountable for their actions, both individually and as representatives of the Legion.
- Adherence to Rules: Members are expected to adhere to the rules and regulations of the organization.
- Positive Representation: Members are ambassadors of the Legion and should conduct themselves in a way that reflects positively on the organization.
We Allege A Pattern Of Deliberate Deceit And Dishonesty
Every kid and every parent knows that lies change. Truth doesn't.
- Someone might fabricate and change stories because you believe you can get away with it.
- Someone might tell falsehoods to people that migfht not know the difference.
- Someone might tell changing stories expecting that no one would notice, no one would investigate, or no one would hold you accountable.
- Mutiple changing stories have a simple purpose: To diguise or to create a smokescreen for
- what is truth.
We are stunned and shocked at the changing array of stories that we know to be ficticious; of false statements; and of misleading statements that are contained in what we count as at least four different stories.
The authors of these stopries are people that we have held in high esteem and respect. We are shocked and disappointed that the people offering these stories hold the most responsible positions in Minnesota Legion baseball.
Changing Storiies - All False
The four storylines are told in summary form on this page and in greater detail one each story page.The fabricated stories morphed and grew.
- Story One was perhaps wishful thinking presented as fact - but the storyline was completely false and quickly abandoned.
- All Star founders were labels as frauds - but the fraud was the fake story. Smearing fellow Legionairres violates the Code of Conduct.
- False Story 1 was delivered on state Legion letterhead and signed by its employee.
- Story #2 had some basis but it appeared to be more deceptive than factual. Reality was quite different
- Story 3 dated November 14th claimed to have killed All Stars on November 1 but the claimed timeline is doubtful at best. Otherwise, common sense wpould tell you the weak discarded stories would not have surfaced.
- Story 3 claimed all sorts of board actions and decisions, all of it happening at a board meeting. But there is nothing to corroborate any the claimed activity. We believe its claims to be false and misleading.
- Story 3 asserted that the reason to kill all-stars wasn't a problem with All Stars at all. It was a different "Idea that was a Potential" that demanded drastic actions from the 'leadership". We don't believe that claim ever existed before the action of November 1st. It was a story to put before the entire Legion structure to ambush the people and a program that was entirely imaginary. The statemnets and the claims were false and misleading,
- Then Story 4 got just wild. It was another Engstrom Story that had the All-Star guys raiding towns and plundering villages to steal Legion baseball players and coaches and entire teams and then race to the Legion post and hornshwaggle them out of hard earned cash. Utter pack of lies stuff.
This Should Trouble The Baseball Board and The Minnesota American Legion
The stories were kept secret form us but we got them anyway. Its who they were sent to that should trouble everyone.
- We allege that knowingly false and misleading stories were developed by Legion Baseball officers including an American Legion employee.
- We allege that false and misleading stories were processed and delivered from Legion offices, using Legion materials and systems, and sent by an employee of the Minnesopta American Legion.
We do not make these statements lightly. These are our conclusions.
A Message to People Putting Personal Agendas Above Players, Coaches, And families
- Shame on you. Each of you. You dishonor yourselves. You dishonor Legion baseball. You dishonor the American Legion.
- Leadership has a choice to lead. People depend on your vision, on your competence, and on your commitment.
- All of us depend on your integrity.
- Your leadership was a blistering failure.
- Covering up your actions and motives with a never ending array of escalating stories is stunning.
- A litany of fake stories and personal thoughts wrapped up as board actions is not befitting an adult.
- How can you think about standing on the field before a state tournament giving the Code to the boys .
- Your conduct should disqualify you from holding positions of influence
We will consider bringing a formal complaint to the State Legion organization.
It is time to reform the system.
One Prominent Coach Speaks His Mind
Randy and The Board: You Hurt Programs and Kids
Issues Start With Our Hypocritical Minnesota StructureThe American Legion states its commitment to Democracy and stands against Autocracy.The Minnesota American Legion stands alone sponsoring an autocratioc structure with people acting in an anti-democratic fashion.Thats hypocracy - textbook. By Definition.
What the Minnesota American Legion has delivered is an intentionally closed system that invites stagnation and abuse by a powerful few.
- Sure, operationally the organization manages to maintain systems and structures.
- It lacks a coimmitment to those Legion baseball is supposed to serve - the kids.
- It is a program wiothout a soul as some individuals put their interests ahead of kids.
- It is a program that puts long ago before today and tomorrow.
A System In Need Of Reform
Randy and The Board: You Hurt Programs and Kids
This is a quick response (to the cancellation of Legion All Stars) because I'm just getting to the school. Tons of typos but the basic info is what I wanted...
I presume Legion was created for kids to play baseball regardless of where they're from. They implemented rules because they wanted fair play. They wanted to ensure people followed regulations to participate in the "Legion" league. With our technology constantly evolving to new "clubs" and "associations", how does Legion think they will be relevant in a couple of years if they won't advance to accommodate those kids that can't afford club ball but want to participate at the highest level? I thought Legion was created for this exact reason. It resembles something of the past. They will continue to operate with a rag-tag group of old men trying to keep an outdated dream alive, while club ball continues to explode and take the best players out of small towns and the few local players left will try to scrap together a team. Since Legion All Stars was created I have been lucky enough to have 3 players make appearances. All 3 have come home with great stories and new experiences they otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford playing club ball. They have all since been in talks with college coaches! Legion is supposed to be inclusive. We need to allow players and parents the opportunity regardless of income to put all talents on display. Being the local HS coach I talk to college scouts who said the first recruiting tool is PBR baseball, then HS coaches, and then boots-on-the-ground recruiting. Why have MLB scouts been cut in half throughout the entire US? Because Major League and College Baseball finally figured out that if clubs are willing to put together ALL-star tournaments and in-depth stat sheets like PBR and other clubs why would they go to any small-town games when the event brings the player right to them? I came from a small town and was college recruited from the MN state HS All-Star Game, if that wasn't an option when I was growing up I highly doubt I would've had that opportunity to play college baseball. Our HS never had scouts at a game, and we never saw college coaches at our practice. If the Legion All-Star game isn't the right way to reboot Legion Baseball, I'd like to hear from the Legion board what is. How am I going to keep my legion team afloat if I continue to lose kids in xxxxxx to Club baseball? We're over 45 min away from any club teams and I have already dealt with players lost to the sales pitch of club ball. Right now I have almost 10 players in spring club ball that have yet to say they are going to come back for summer. What's the answer Legion? I'd love to hear how you're going to rebuild Legion Baseball. I don't have time to fight the good fight right now because I'm going to be ramping up for HS ball but this game needs to be played. Tell Legion teams they need to nominate and we can call it the "NON-ATTACHED TO LEGION ALL STAR GAME" parody so All Stars can still exist.